Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator Lashkari Raisani said on Sunday that prominent Baloch leader Attaullah Mengal to held end the Balochistan crisis, and asked the establishment to take Mengal’s offer seriously. Talking to Pakistan Today about his meeting with Mengal, the senator said the purpose of the meeting was to discuss the common grounds which could help end violence in the province. “I met the Baloch leader last week and he wanted to play a positive role in resolving the Balochistan crisis,” Raisani said. When asked if he had met the Baloch leader on behalf of the PPP government, he said, “I have been in contact with various political leaders in Balochistan because a dangerous great game is being played in our province with the help of certain foreign forces. We want to save our people and province from disaster”. He added that he had been active for resolving the issue and had also convinced some groups for negotiations.
“Recently I met some armed groups who wanted to talk to the establishment and resolve the issue of law and order in the province but the establishment did not respond”, said the PPP senator. “Now I met Attaullah Mengal so that a lowest common denominator could be evolved to bring the situation under control through political initiatives. Mengal has influence in the area and experience which can help in brining peace in the province and convince the people to that common denominator,” Raisani said. However when asked what could be that common denominator, he refused to give details. When asked if the establishment supported his initiative, he refused to comment, but added that he would soon meet other leaders on the issue. He said the situation was extremely tense in the educational institutions in Balochistan, and that some elements wanted to exploit the situation and convert the insurgency to sectarian and ethnic violence.
‘Mengal has offered to help diffuse Balochistan crisis’
